Video at Documenta
Afterimage, Sept. 1987, v. 15, no. 2, p. 4
A summary of the recent Documenta 8 festival in Kassel, West Germany, where the theme was art with social consciousness. Special attention is paid to Nam June Paik's video homage to Joseph Beuys, which used music video techniques and mirrors to examine "the way popular television creates icons" (4). Videos that reference popular culture and the permeation of television into private life was a major theme, as was ironic critique using music video techniques. The author takes issue with the gallery presentation of non-installation works, given "video's troublesome status as an art" (4), and suggested that public television would have been a better forum.
ITEM 1987.089 – available for viewing in the Research Centre
Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited
Hommage to Joseph Beuys – Nam June Paik
Hideo It's Me Mama – Mako Idemitsu
Gorilla Tapes: Death Valley Days – Tim Morrison
Gorilla Tapes: Death Valley Days – John Dovey
Gorilla Tapes: Death Valley Days – Gavin Hodge
City of Angels – Marina Abramovic
Grimoire Magnetique – Joelle de la Casiniere
Theory of Cosmetics – Gabor Body